John Hood was not alone in challenging plans to expand North Carolina’s system of taxpayer-financed election campaigns. Daren Bakst, John Locke Foundation Director of Legal and Regulatory Studies, labeled the proposal “shocking,” an assessment that attracted the attention of PunditHouse.com. Bakst also fired off a letter (pdf link) to the State Board of Elections urging a moratorium on the use of “matching funds” in taxpayer-financed campaigns. Bakst based his proposal on a recent U.S. Supreme Court order blocking distribution of matching funds in Arizona. Bakst discussed the legal and regulatory challenges associated with starting a business during a presentation to Campbell University’s free-enterprise program for high school students. In other research-related news, Joseph Coletti, Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies, earned television and radio air time in the past week on multiple topics. Coletti explained to WTVD Television viewers why the state should avoid throwing more money at handheld computer tools for public school teachers. Coletti granted two interviews in the past week to WPTF Radio’s Bill LuMaye. The first dealt with the state’s latest unemployment news, while the second focused on Medicaid’s preferred drug list. WPTF News interviewed Coletti Thursday about a Republican legislator’s proposed “State Savings Account” amendment. Coletti also spoke with Lockwood Phillips on WTKF’s “Viewpoints Radio” about local government leaders’ concerns about the likely impact of federal health-care reforms. While Coletti was enlightening broadcast media audiences, Jon Sanders, Associate Director of Research, shared his thoughts with Durham Herald-Sun readers about worthwhile reforms of the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control system. Terry Stoops, Director of Education Studies, granted an interview to the Herald-Sun for an upcoming series of articles about North Carolina’s government-run early childhood programs. Meanwhile, Michael Sanera, Director of Research and Local Government Studies, hit the road Thursday for a presentation about the Constitution at the Cypress Retirement Community.